“Today we all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that one of America’s greatest avowed enemies is dead. The suffering that he caused to the families of those killed in the 9/11 attack will never end. But at least now they can feel that justice is done.
“The 9/11 attacks have caused suffering for our nation as whole. In the Northern Mariana Islands we have lost 14 of our fine young men and women in the wars that followed 9/11. Even those who returned alive will bear the scars forever. One of our young men was wounded five times in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet kept returning to the fight.
“The families of the soldiers we sent to those wars have, also, paid the price. They have had to live with fear for their loved ones and with the uncertainty and insecurity of trying to manage without a father or mother in the home.
“And the financial cost to our country has left us deeply in debt and forced to ask whether we can afford to provide health care for our elderly and a proper education for the young.
“We must always be vigilant against the terrorist threat to our homeland. But the death of Osama bin Laden renews our hope that we can wind down our combat overseas — as the president has promised to do. Now Americans can refocus our lives and resources on the positive work of investing in our nation and keeping this country great.”
